Shop Horror

Category

Style

Short rhyming poem suitable for pre-school and junior school kids to recite

Length

4 lines

Key Stage

Pre-school, KS1, KS2

Author

Patrick Winstanley

Notes for Teachers

Lost in Translation

One of the problems which arises when using Funny Poems for Kids in a classroom setting is that the poems are written with an English audience in mind. Some of the language, idiom or cultural references might get mangled if using the poems in schools overseas. Bar Humbug is a very simple poem (if you overlook the titular joking with technology and Dickens) and great for younger kids to memorize and recite. However, readers need to know that Tesco is a gargantuan supermarket chain in the UK and that a till is the same as a cash desk or checkout. As a rule of thumb, if a poem takes longer to explain than read, you should look for an easier (or longer) poem.

So, here is an alternative rendering of Bar Humbug with transatlantic appeal:

Bar Humbug USA

When I took my zebra to Walmart
It got scanned at the till by mistake
One thousand two hundred dollars
Now that's what I call a piss take...

which is sadly not entirely suited for use in a school lessons, but might be just the thing for a poetry slam.